What's Next for Pacquiao: Plan B(radley)
What's Next for Pacquiao: Plan B(radley)
So where does Bob Arum take Manny Pacquiao from here? There aren't that many options that could generate half the interest and excitement that a fight with Floyd could. There are only a few that are being thrown about and I don't like any of them.
Naturally there is talk of a rematch with Miguel Cotto for the WBO Jr. Middleweight title. Sure Cotto looked great with Emanuel Steward in his corner against the feather-fisted Yuri Foreman but the truth is that I don't see Cotto doing any better against Manny this year than he did last year. While it would be exciting to see Pacquiao win another world title, I don't think Cotto should have to take another beating for the sake of another fighter's legacy.
Then there's Antonio Margarito (or Margacheato, depending upon your sense of humour), the disgraced former champion who is trying to regain his credibility by starting his career over after being discovered with plaster of Paris in his gloves prior to his 2009 loss to Shane Mosley.
Naturally, these are the two are the only possibilities that Arum is talking about because he promotes both Cotto and Margarito but since both match ups are meaningless, there aren't any other Top Rank fighters that Bob can go to.
This is where the real Plan B should come in. Plan B being Timothy Bradley. With his recent victory over the previously unbeaten Luis Carlos Abregu, it is clear that Bradley can fight and dominate his opponents just as well at 147 as he can at 140 where he holds the WBO title.
And if we're to be honest, where else is there for Pacquiao to go between 140 and 147? Golden Boy Promotions isn't going to put Amir Khan with anyone who has KO's in the double digits (That and it would be a conflict of interest for Freddie Roach), Marcos Maidana brings nothing to the table and Devon Alexander might not be ready for such a big stage at this point in his young (but blossoming) career. And please, nobody ask me, "What about Victor Ortiz?"
I'm getting very sick and tired of Golden Boy and Ring Magazine trying to shove this kid down our throat.
Bradley makes perfect sense. He's fast, athletic, undefeated (though his lack of knockouts leaves something to be desired) and holds a title at a weight that Pacquiao hasn't fought at since destroying Ricky Hatton.
In conclusion, the only place for Pacquiao to go is down...in weight while the only place Mayweather can get a good fight is up...in smoke.
Andrew Schweitzer is a freelance blogger/journalist who enjoys discussing and writing about the sweet science. When not writing for BOXING 4 FREE or other publications he can be found at the gym or on the midnight shift, protecting Calgary from the swarms of vampires and werewolves that prowl the greater Alberta area.
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